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Chapter 20: the Vikings, 900 A.D

Chapter 20: the Vikings, 900 A.D

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CHAPTER The 20 900 A.D.–1035 A.D.

C20-04P A Viking wood carving TK of a dragon slayer

A Viking ice skate

862 A.D. 911 A.D. 986 A.D. 1016 A.D. 1036 A.D. Vikings found win Vikings establish a Canute conquers Danish control of Kievan Rus Norselaw in France colony in England ends

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Chapter Focus Read to Discover Chapter Overview Visit the Human Heritage Web site • How the Vikings earned a living. at humanheritage.glencoe.com • What daily life was like for the Vikings. and click on Chapter 20— • How Viking warriors and adventurers traded and raided. Chapter Overviews to preview this chapter. • What role the Danish Vikings played in the histories of England and France.

Terms to Learn People to Know Places to Locate jarls Rurik Jutland Eddas Leif Eriksson Canute Norselaw

Why It’s Important During the 900s, Charlemagne’s and Anglo-Saxon England were attacked‚ by new invaders known as Norseman, or Vikings (vı- k–engs). They came from the far northern‚ part of Europe now called Scandinavia (skan duh na– ve– uh). They spread fear and destruction throughout western Europe. However, they opened up new trade routes and taught seafaring skills to other Europeans. The Vikings captured parts of Britain and France. They ruled cities in Russia and set up colonies on islands in the North Atlantic. They even traveled to North America. Those who went abroad married the people they conquered and accepted a new religion and new customs. Others stayed in Scandinavia and set up the kingdoms of , , and .

SECTION 1 The Land The Viking homeland of Scandinavia was an area made up mostly of forests and long, rugged coastlines. The southern part, known as Jutland (juht’ luhnd), or Denmark, had many natural harbors and was well suited for farming. It had large plains where the Vikings grew grains and pastured their cattle, sheep, and pigs. The rest of Scandinavia was not as well suited to farming. The soil was rocky, and the growing season was short. The coastline, however, had many (f e¯ yo¯rdz’), or narrow bays. Because of this, the people turned to the sea to make a living.

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Ships and Trade The Vikings built ships with timber from the dense forests. These ships were large and well suited for long voyages. The bodies were long and narrow. The sides, where a Student Web Activity single row of 16 oars was placed, were usually decorated with Visit the Human Heritage Web site at black or yellow shields. The tall bows were carved in the shape of humanheritage.glencoe.com a dragon’s head. This was supposed to frighten both enemies and and click on Chapter 20— the evil spirits of the ocean. The strongly sewn sails were square Student Web Activities to find and often striped red and yellow. The ships bore names like out more about the Vikings. “Snake of the Sea,” “Raven of the Wind,” and “Lion of the Waves.” An awning in the forepart of the ship protected sailors from bad weather. They slept in leather sleeping bags and carried bronze pots in which to cook meals. Whenever possible, they cooked meals ashore to avoid the danger of a fire onboard ship. The Vikings plotted their courses by the positions of the sun and the stars. They sailed far out into the North Sea and the in search of good fishing areas and trade. They did most of their traveling and trading in spring after their fields were sown or in fall after their crops were harvested. They spent the long winters repairing their boats and weapons. The Vikings were as successful in trade as the Phoenicians. Viking traders carried furs, hides, fish, and enslaved people to western Europe and the Mediterranean. They returned from these areas with silk, wine, wheat, and silver.

VIKING TRADE The Vikings traveled very far in order to trade. They sailed to the Mediterranean and traded for Arabic silver coins. The Vikings then melted down the coins and used the silver to make jewelry. What other items did the Vikings trade for?

Berserk Of the many words that entered English from , one of the most threatening is berserk. It comes from the Viking warriors known as berserk- ers, who rushed headlong into battle shrieking, leap- ing, and seemingly unaware of pain.

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Towns, Villages, and Jarls Trade led to the growth of market towns in Scandinavia. These towns generally had two main streets that ran along the water’s edge. Buyers and sellers set up booths along these streets where they showed their wares. The towns were protected on their land side by mounds of earth surrounded by wooden walls with towers. Most Vikings lived in villages scattered all through the country. Their houses were made of logs or boards. The roofs, which were made of sod-covered wood, slanted deeply to shed the heavy winter snows. Carved dragons decorated the roofs at either end. Each house had a small porch at its front that was held up by carved pillars. Distance and the cold winters isolated the people of one vil- lage from those of another. Because of this, there was no central government. The people were divided into groups ruled by mili- tary chiefs called jarls (yahrlz). Some jarls were elected, while Reading Check others inherited their position. Sometimes, a jarl became strong Who were the enough to take over neighboring lands. When a jarl had enough jarls, and how were land under his rule, he was looked upon as a . they selected?

Section 1 Assessment Graphic Organizer Activity 5. 1. Define: jarls. Draw this diagram, and use it to 2. How did people in Scandinavia make a describe geographic features of the living? Viking homeland. 3. What were some of the features of Viking towns?

Geographic Critical Thinking Features 4. Making Generalizations How did the Vikings use their natural resources? SECTION 2 Daily Life Family life was important to the Vikings. Most households had 20 to 30 members, including parents, grandparents, married children, and grandchildren. Families often fought bloody feuds to defend their honor. The payment of fines later ended such feuds.

The People Viking warriors were called berserkers (ber Reading Check zerk’ erz). They believed in a life of action and valued deeds that Who were the called for strength and courage. They fought to gain wealth, Viking berserkers, honor, and fame. They believed that a liking for war brought and why did they special honors from the gods. fight? To call their warriors to battle, the Vikings lit bonfires on the tops of mountains. Those who saw a fire would light a new one to

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spread the message. Warriors fought with battle axes, swords, and spears. Metal helmets decorated with animal figures protect- ed their heads. Shirts made of iron rings and covered by a large cloth protected their bodies. Warriors preferred to die by their own hand rather than give their enemies the satisfaction of cap- turing or killing them. The women encouraged their men to fight. A Viking groom bought his wife from her family on their wedding day. If he was not pleased with her, he could sell her. Yet, the position of Viking women was quite high. They took complete charge of the home. They could attend public meetings and talk with men other than their husbands. They could own property and get a divorce. Many Viking women grew herbs that were used as medicine. Both men and women liked fine clothes. Men usually dressed Hilt in trousers and woolen shirts covered by knee-length tunics. Broad leather belts held the clothing in place. Sheepskin hoods and caps kept their heads warm. For special events, men wore red cloaks with brooches and carried decorated swords and daggers. Women also wore tunics held in place by a belt. They covered their heads with woolen or linen caps and wore large brooches, pins, and bracelets. Both men and women wore their hair long. The men took great pride in their mustaches and beards. Calling a

VIKING ADVENTURES This painting of Vikings at sea shows the detail and decoration these north people put into their ships. The bows of their ships were usual- ly elaborately carved. Why did many display the head of a dragon on the ?

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Viking man “beardless” was an insult that could be wiped out only by death. The Vikings had no schools. Girls were taught household skills, such as spinning, weaving, and sewing, by their mothers. Boys were taught to use the bow and arrow and to be good fighters by their fathers. Boys also memorized tales of heroes and gods and competed in games that tested their strength and endurance.

Religion The Vikings worshiped many gods that at first were similar to the Germanic gods. Over time, they changed their gods to suit the hard life of Scandinavia. The Vikings believed that the gods were responsible for the weather and for the growth of crops. Since the gods liked to hunt, fish, and play tricks on one another, the Vikings viewed them as extra-powerful humans. The Vikings bargained with their gods to get what they Viking Rune Stone wanted. Priests offered sacrifices of crops and animals for the whole village. Most Vikings also had small shrines in their homes where they could pray or offer sacrifices. The Vikings were proud of their gods and told stories of the gods’ great deeds. These stories later became written poems called Eddas (ed’ uhz). The Vikings also made up (sah’ Reading Check guhz), or long tales. At first, storytellers used to recite them at What were the special feasts. One such tale took 12 days to recite. After 1100, the Eddas? Vikings wrote down their sagas. With the coming of , however, the people lost interest in them. Many were forgotten or were forbidden by the Church. Only the people on the isolated island of passed on the old tales. Early on, the Vikings spoke a language similar to that of the Germans. In time, the one language developed into four—- ish, Norwegian (nor we¯’ juhn), Swedish, and Icelandic. These languages were written with letters called runes (ru¯nz), which few Reading Check people except priests could understand or use. The Vikings used What were some the runes as magic charms. They wrote the runes in metal and of the ways that the carved them in bone in the hope that they would bring good luck. Vikings used runes? When the Vikings accepted Christianity, they began to write their languages with Roman letters.

Section 2 Assessment advantages and disadvantages of living in the large Viking households? 1. Define: berserkers, Eddas, runes. 2. What kind of education did Viking Graphic Organizer Activity children receive? 5. Draw this diagram, and use it to com- 3. How did the Vikings view their gods? pare the role of Viking women with the Critical Thinking role of women in the United States today. 4. Demonstrating Reasoned Judgment Viking Women Both What might have been some of the Women Today

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NORSE GODS

Name Realm (or Wodan) king of the gods; sky god; god of war and wisdom; Wodan’s day became Wednesday. Balder god of light, joy, and spring Bragi god of poetry and stories Freya goddess of love and beauty god of rain, sunshine, and the harvest Frigg goddess of earth, marriages, and motherly love; Odin’s wife; Frigg’s day became Friday. Hel (or Hela) goddess of the dead Idun goddess of youth Loki god of fire; the mischief-maker Njord god of the sea god of thunder, lightning, and the tides; Thor’s day became Thursday. Tyr god of legal contracts and of truth; Tyr’s day became Tuesday.

SECTION 3 Raiders and Adventurers

Scandinavia’s population kept increasing. By the end of the 800s, many Viking villages were overcrowded, and there was not enough food for everyone. Since there was no central govern- ment, the constantly fought one another and made life difficult for their enemies. Before long, many Viking warriors began to seek their fortunes in other lands. They set sail on their long, deckless ships that were propelled through the water with oars. On them, the Vikings could safely sail the deep water of the Atlantic Ocean or the shallow rivers of Europe.

From East Europe to North America Viking adven- turers traveled to and raided areas from east Europe to North America. Swedish Vikings crossed the and traveled down the rivers toward what is now Belarus, Ukraine, and Rus- sia. They established a trade water route from the Baltic to the

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Black Sea and on to the wealthy city of Byzantium (bi zan’ te¯ uhm). This water route became known as the Varangian(vah rahng e¯’uhn) Route. In 862, a Swedish chief named Rurik (ru¯ ’ rik) found- ed a Viking settlement that became the Kievan Rus state. Norwegian Vikings set up trading towns in , explored the North Atlantic, and founded a colony on Iceland. Led by an adventurer named Erik the Red, they founded a colony on the island of Greenland in 986. Then, Erik’s son, Leif Eriksson (le¯f er’ ik suhn), landed on the northeast coast of North America. He and his followers named the spot where they landed Vinland because of the wild grapes they found growing there. Today, the area is called (nu¯’ fuhn luhnd). The Vikings did not set up a colony in Vinland because it was so far away from home and because they were repeatedly attacked by Native Americans. Most Viking adventurers, however, went to western and southern Europe in search of food and valuables. They disguised their ships to look like wooded islands by covering them with tree branches. Then they traveled far up the rivers to make surprise

Iceland Around 930, the Vikings drew up a constitution that provided for a legislative assembly called the Althing (left). The Althing still meets today (right), making it the oldest practicing legislative assembly in the world. What conditions in Scandinavia led the Vikings to settle in Iceland?

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Tracing Historical Routes

Lines on For example, on the map of “Viking maps generally Trade and Expansion” below, the legend show bound- shows that the brown line is the aries or rivers. Varangian Route. The two arrows along On some maps, however, lines may the line point out that the route began in show other things, such as historical Sweden and ended in Byzantium. routes. These are roads or courses over which people or goods have traveled all Map Practice through history. 1. What were some places visited by Such routes are often colored to Vikings along their trade routes? make the map easier to read. A colored 2. Which routes ran through the line may have arrows to point out the largest area of Viking settlement? direction taken by people or goods. If there is a legend on the map, it may 3. What two cities lay along Viking provide clues to the meaning of the invasion routes? different lines and colors. Viking Trade and Expansion

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Canute VIKING SHIPS The Vikings were among the best shipbuilders of their time. At C. 995–1035 sea, the Vikings depended on the wind and sails for power. On a river, rowers pow- ered the ship. The Viking ships in this painting pursue enemy trading ships. How did Danish King Vikings disguise their ships on rivers? Canute followed in the footsteps of his father, who conquered attacks. They stole goods, destroyed homes, burned churches, England in 1013. and killed or enslaved people they captured. All Europe feared When his father died, the Vikings. In their churches, the people prayed, “From the fury the Anglo- of the , Good Lord, deliver us!” refused to make Canute king, so he led The Danes The Danes were among those Vikings who the Danes in a second raided western and southern Europe. One group invaded war of conquest. In England and set up settlements there in the . Their right 1016, he became the to rule this area had been recognized by . In 954, sole king of England. an heir of Alfred the Great forced the Danes to leave. In 978, In 1018 he inherited Ethelred (eth’ uhl red), nicknamed the Unready, became king of the Danish throne, England. The Danes saw their chance and began raiding England and in 1028 he seized again. At first, Ethelred was able to buy them off with silver. In the throne of Norway. 1016, however, a Danish king called Knut, or Canute (kuh nu¯ t’), Although Canute’s conquered England and made it part of his . sons lost England, a Canute was a powerful and just ruler. He converted to distant kinsman from Christianity and brought peace and prosperity to England. Soon —William after his death in 1035, however, Danish control of the country the Conqueror— came to an end. Some Danes left England. Those who remained would reclaim it in became a part of the and culture. 1066. Another group of Danes tried to take the city of Paris in France, but the French managed to fight them off. In 885, the

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Danes tried again. The people of Paris held them off for ten months. Finally, the French king paid the Danes gold to abandon their attack. Led by a warrior named Rollo (rahl’ o¯), the Danes began set- tling along the French coast opposite England. In 911, the French king signed a treaty with Rollo. He gave the Danes this land. In return, the Danes became Christians and promised to be loyal to the French king. The region in which the Danes settled became known first as the Norselaw and then as Normandy (no¯r’ muhn de¯). The people became known as .

Section 3 Assessment Vikings if there had been a central gov- ernment in Scandinavia? 1. Why did many Vikings leave Scandinavia? Graphic Organizer Activity 2. Why did Europeans fear the Vikings? 5. Draw the following diagram, and use 3. What happened to the Danes who it to summarize key dates in Viking settled in England? history. Critical Thinking 911 978 1035 4. Predicting Consequences How 900 1040 might life have been different for the 954 1016

Chapter Summary & Study Guide

1. The Vikings lived in 6. In 1016, a Danish king called Canute in an area called Scandinavia. conquered England, but after his 2. The geography of the Viking home- death, Danish control of the country land led people to become excellent came to an end. sailors who earned their living 7. After besieging Paris, Danish Vikings through fishing, trading, and raiding. settled along the French coast in an 3. The Vikings worshiped many gods area known as Norselaw. and often told stories about them. 4. When the Vikings accepted Christiani- ty, they stopped writing their lan- guages in runes and began using Roman letters. 5. Overpopulation in Scandinavia in the Self-Check Quiz 800s led many Vikings to establish set- Visit the Human Heritage Web site at humanheritage. tlements elsewhere, including Kievan glencoe.com and click on Chapter 20—Self-Check Quiz Rus and Greenland. to assess your understanding of this chapter.

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CHAPTER 20 Assessment Using Key Terms Graphic Organizer Activity

Imagine you are a journalist writing a Culture Create a diagram like the magazine article about Scandinavia. Use one shown, and use it to compare Viking the following words to write a paragraph culture before and after the arrival of describing the Viking way of life. Christianity in Scandinavia. jarls Eddas runes berserkers Before Arrival After of Christianity Understanding Main Ideas

1. Why did many Vikings turn to the sea to make a living? Geography in History 2. How did the Vikings plot the courses of their voyages? Places and Regions Look at the 3. How were Viking houses protected map on page 306. The Vikings settled in from the winter? areas beyond the Scandinavian region. 4. Why was there no central government What geographic features of Scandinavia in Scandinavia? may have contributed to the Vikings’ 5. How did a jarl bacome a king? expansion and movement? Write a para- 6. What role did women play in Viking graph showing how geographic features society? affected the Vikings’ movement. 7. What were Viking stories about? 8. How did the Vikings use runes? 9. What effect did the Vikings have on Kievan Rus? 10. Why did the Vikings decide not to set up a colony in North America? Critical Thinking

1. What effect did Christianity have on Viking life? Using Your Journal 2. What would you have liked about being a Viking? What would you have Review any details you may disliked? have noted about Viking explo- 3. What do you think might have hap- rations that took place in pened in Scandinavia if many Viking Europe during the early Middle warriors had not left the area during Ages. Imagine you are a Viking the 800s? adventurer landing on the 4. What effect did Vikings have on the northeast coast of North Ameri- development of Europe during the ca. Write a diary entry describ- Middle Ages? ing your first impression of North America. 309 0310-0311-U6-ATW-846240 11/16/02 8:10 AM Page 310 UNIT 6 Around

THE GUPTAS As the crumbled, the the Gupta invented the concept of zero Gupta (gup’ tuh) Empire in what is now and developed symbols for the numbers 1 northern India entered a Golden Age. through 9. These symbols were carried to Beginning around 310 A.D., the Guptas the West by traders and came to be called began a period of great achievement and “Arabic numerals.” expansion. The empire lasted until about 600 A.D., Among the Gupta’s contributions are when it dissolved into a collection of many folktales and stories. In mathematics, small states much like Europe.

Gupta Empire ° 70°E 80°E 90 E H U S The Guptas K U D H practiced Hin- N I I H duism, but they M A tolerated other 30° L N A religions, especial- Y A S ly Buddhism. Buddhism was founded about 563 B.C. by Siddartha Gautama (si dahr’

20°N tuh gow’ tuh INDIA Arabian muh), who later Sea Bay became known as of Bengal the Buddha. The Buddha, meaning the “Enlightened

10°N One,” became the subject of many huge Gupta sculp- miles 0 200 400 kilometers 0200 400 INDIAN OCEAN tures.

The Gupta Empire covered much of India and reached into parts of southwest Asia.

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Despite the continued influ- ence of Buddhism, Hinduism became the dominant religion of the Gupta Empire. During this period, rulers ordered the con- struction of stone or brick tem- ples to honor Hindu gods and goddesses.

The great Gupta conqueror Samudra Gupta (suh mu’ druh gup’ tuh) minted his own coins. Ruling from about 335 A.D. to 375 A.D., he took over much of north- ern India and expanded trade as far south as islands in the Indian Ocean. The Sanskrit inscription on this coin describes Samudra Gupta as “the unconquered one, whose victory was spread in hundreds of battles, hav- ing conquered his enemies, conquers heaven.”

Under the Guptas, Buddhist monks decorated the inside of caves, which were used as temples and monaster- ies, with paintings, statues, and carved pillars. Most paint- ings illustrated stories from the life of Buddha. Some paintings, however, Taking Another Look show Gupta rulers and 1. During what years did the Gupta Empire scenes from flourish? daily life, 2. How did Gupta rulers try to unify their such as this empire? woman. Hands-On Activity Writing a Speech Write a one-minute speech in which you recommend that the phrase “Arabic numerals” be changed to “Gupta numerals.” 311 Standardized Test Practice Directions: Choose the best answer to each of the following multiple choice questions. If you have trouble answering a question, use the process of elimination to narrow your choices. Write your answers on a separate piece of paper. Use the map below to answer question 1. The Germanic Kingdoms 0° 20°E40°E North a e Sea S c 50 lti °N ANGLO- Ba SAXONS SAXONS Eastern Roman Empire, 526 Rh in e R EUROPE ATLANTIC i v

e OCEAN r

S GOTH TRO OS

40 Black Sea °N

VISIGOTHS Constantinople Rome S L A D N A AFRICA V miles 0 150 300

kilometers 0150 300 MEDITERRANEAN SEA

1. This type of map is called a 2. The legend of the Norse god Thor was used to explain A political map B physical map F why the Vikings were such good warriors C military map G the sound of thunder D demographic map H the story of Adam and Eve Test-Taking Tip: Even though this J the origins of language map does show some landforms, such as rivers, it is not primarily a physical map Test-Taking Tip: Eliminate answers (answer B). What is the map’s main purpose? that you know are incorrect. For example, the A map’s title—or legend (if there is one)—can story of Adam and Eve (answer H) is a Bible give you clues. story, and it is not related to the Vikings’ religion.

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Standardized Test Practice

3. The early Dark Ages were characterized 5. The Roman lost control by of the Irish Church during the Germanic wars. What do you think was the reason A the development of strong trade routes for this? in eastern Europe B the failure of Christianity to spread to A Ireland was far away, isolated, and most parts of Europe relatively unimportant to Rome. C a darkening of the sky due to air B Irish monks refused to follow the laws pollution around Europe set by the Pope. D an emphasis on war and conquest C Irish nobles refused to pay the taxes over education and trade demanded by the Pope. D The Irish refused to accept Christianity Test-Taking Tip: This question asks and kept worshiping their Celtic gods. you to make a generalization about the Dark Ages. A generalization is a type of conclusion Test-Taking Tip: Make sure that you based on facts. Which of the answer choices know where the major European countries best summarizes the Dark Ages? If you are located on a map. How far was Ireland cannot remember any specific facts about the from Rome? Eliminate answer choices that Dark Ages, ask yourself if it sounds like it was do not make sense. If the Irish were already a positive or a negative time. In other words, what does the word dark suggest? Are there part of the Church, they must have accepted any answer choices you can eliminate as a Christianity. Therefore, you can eliminate result? answer D.

4. The battles waged by Charlemagne were 6. After their encounters with the Germanic different from earlier battles because people in Europe, the Vikings stopped writing down their sagas, or long stories, F for the first time, the purpose of war about their gods. Why? was to convert people to Christianity G for the first time, wars were fought F They decided that they no longer had primarily on the water time to recite the long sagas. H legends were written about the battles G The Germanic people convinced the and Charlemagne’s military leaders Vikings that stories were only for children. J Charlemagne was the first to fight a war against the Pope H The Vikings were no longer interested in tales of warriors and exciting battles. Test-Taking Tip: Always read the question and all the answer choices carefully. J The Vikings accepted Christianity, For example, Charlemagne fought for the which outlawed stories about Pope, not against the Pope, so you can other gods. eliminate answer J. Test-Taking Tip: For this question, you will have to think about the influence of the Germans on the Vikings. Since it is unlikely that the Vikings simply lost interest in these stories, you can get rid of answer H. 313

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